


So close

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Mother of the Year (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-25 22:47:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20731958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: Left with a free evening, they decide to spend it together as emotions fly high.





	So close

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
It happened. I fell down the Thomas Mendez hole, and I'm not resurfacing anytime soon. He refused to leave my head, so I did the only thing I knew. I wrote a fic :D  
It's fluff and humor and fun times all around  
Enjoy! <3

Being a single parent has never been an easy task. Between taking care of her and work, there was hardly ever any time for Reena to focus on herself. Thalia was the single most important part of her life, she would do anything for her little princess, and never in a million years would she complain about her busy schedule. She was the light of her life, and no matter what circumstances made her come to life, she was, is, and always will be her mother’s priority.

When Reena found out that her daughter had an opportunity to get a scholarship and study at a good school, she didn’t even stop to think twice about what it would mean for both of them. She wanted what was best for her, and that school would provide both the education she wanted, and the education and opportunities Thalia needed to grow. It was supposed to be plainly for Thalia, they moved there for Thalia, and yet it became clear very quickly that they stayed in Goldcliffe for… something more. _Someone_ more.

Reena would do right about anything to protect her daughter, and when she heard she was being bullied, she saw red. The whole situation was quickly cleared out, and the mean one became a friend. Luz Mendez was the only person Thalia talked about when she came back from school, two little girls getting closer and closer as each day went on. With these two wanting to spend all their free time together, it was no surprise that outside of school, they expressed the same interests. And so, since kids were hanging out together, parents were doing the same. Reena and Thomas.

Thomas was experiences with life, and not exactly in the best way. Fate didn’t spare him, he had his fair share of pain and loss, laid out on his path only to get him to trip up and hit the ground. Losing his wife was enough to make anyone give up and close off, but here he was, doing everything he could to ensure that Luz had everything she wanted and needed, that she was safe, that she was loved and protected. Much like Reena, he would stop at nothing to make his daughter’s dreams happen.

It just so happened that this dream was to spend a whole afternoon and evening with Thalia. And Thalia made a deal with Levi to bake sweets and work on her science project. Neither had anything against Luz joining them, and with Reena’s reassurance, Thomas dropped his daughter off at Levi’s apartment. Deciding that since he was already there, he might as well check on the brunette that seemed to never leave his mind for long. His hand fell to his side as he waited for the door to open, and a moment later he was met with the sparkle of her green eyes.

“Thomas, hi! I see that you dropped Luz off?” Reena’s wide smile greeted him as she leaned on the door. He shot her what he hoped was a bright grin, taking a small step towards her.

“Hi, Reena. Yeah, she wouldn’t let me _not_ drop her off, it was all she could talk about.”

“Do you want to… come in? Or like-“ she started saying when the door on the other end of the corridor swung open, revealing two small heads.

“Daaaaad, no! You’re way too close! I’m big now, I don’t need you here with me. Take Thalia’s mom to our house, watch TV or something.” Luz complained, accompanied by Thalia giggling in the background.

Two adults looked at one another with an amused look on their faces and a hint of a blush on their cheeks. Raising their hands up in mock surrender, they nodded, and with a very satisfied look on their faces, Thalia and Luz disappeared behind the door again. Reena turned to look at Thomas.

“Um, give me five minutes? I’ll grab a purse and a sweater, and we can get going.” She stammered a little, making a few awkward movements with her hands before turning to go to her bedroom.

Thomas walked over to the wall, keeping his eyes on the photos in the frames. Little Thalia with some sort of an award, smiling brightly. A little younger Reena, looking into the camera with a glint in her eyes. Both of them holding hands. He felt like he was intruding, looking into the past of two people that made such an impact on his life in such a short period of time. Almost as though he asked for it, he felt a soft touch on his arm, and a sweet scent of vanilla taking over his senses. He jumped a little, feeling blood rushing to his cheeks.

“Are you ready to go?” she asked him slowly, her voice low and filled with happiness as she looked at the photos too.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to invade your privacy.” He spoke as though he didn’t hear her, turning to face her. She shook her head, smiling at him gently.

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind. Now, come on, before our princesses come here and decide to kick us out by force.”

\---- ---- ----

Thomas held the door open for Reena to enter, turning the lights on. The sun has set some time ago, and it was getting darker and colder by the minute. She was there before and she was quite familiar with the layout of the rooms, which allowed her to navigate to the living room, leaving her purse on the chair in the dinning room. He went into the kitchen, his bare feet stepping softly on the floor.

“Do you think I can interest you with some wine?” he turned towards her, holding a bottle of what seemed to be an expensive beverage. She nodded her head, rushing to explain.

“Levi volunteered to drive Luz here after they’re done with the project. I’m sure he’ll drive me back, I don’t see why we can’t enjoy a glass of wine.” She sat down on the couch, watching as he took two glasses into his other hand and joined her in the living room. Reaching for a phone, he put on some soft music, flowing gently in the background as they fell into a deep conversation.

“I must say, it’s adorable how you’re willing to learn how to take care of Luz the way you do. Not many fathers are up for that challenge.” She grinned at him, observing as he smiled sweetly, looking down at his hands.

“She’s all I have, I’m not going to let her want for anything.” He muttered shyly, twisting his fingers together. She reached over, stroking the back of his hand with hers delicately.

“She has everything she could ever want. I mean, how could she not, she has _you_ as her father.” Reena’s grip on his wrist tightened a little, expressing her full support and trust in him and his abilities.

“Just so you know, I still don’t really get the whole braiding thing. It’s just… so complicated.” Thomas admitted, shrugging helplessly, making her laugh.

“Your notes in your legal pad didn’t help you, huh?” she teased him, letting her hair fall over her shoulder slightly.

“Well, _someone_ didn’t let me finish them.” smirking, he leaned in, his voice dropping a few notes. For some unknown to her reason, she felt blood rushing to her cheeks.

“You need another lesson? We have a whole evening to ourselves, we can work on your… braiding skills if you want.”

“Luz is not here.” He breathed, his eyes intensifying as he watched her. She shook her head, reaching with her hand to release her brown strands from the ponytail she made a few hours before.

“You’ll train on me.”

Before he could say anything, she moved to the floor, sitting before him, her back to him, her legs crossed. She missed the way his eyes widened in horror, the way his body stiffened, terrified to even move. Confused by his lack of reaction, she leaned back, her head brushing against his legs as their gazes met.

“Is something wrong?”

“I just don’t want to hurt you. And based on my experience, I am fairly sure I’ll do something wrong.” He explained, brushing a piece of her hair off her forehead.

“If you don’t try, you’ll never learn. Come on, show me what you remember and we’ll go from there.” she winked at him, leaning forward, brushing her hair to the back.

Moment later she felt his touch, one of the softest and most soothing she could imagine, as he grabbed a chunk of hair on the top of her head, dividing it into three sections. He started working, pulling a little more than he should, and from what she could feel, he was doing well. But then, something went wrong, he seemed to have gotten lost, unsure how to proceed. Reena thought it was a good thing he couldn’t see her face and her small wince as he pulled, definitely harder than he intended.

“How lost are you? Honest answers.” She laughed softly, her eyes closed.

“Is it that obvious?” he breathed apologetically, trying to undo his mistakes. Her hands flew to the back of her head, touching his palms as she guided him, detangling her hair and moving the strands in practiced moves to form a braid.

“See? Not that hard. Here, let’s reverse the roles.” She stood up, setting her hair lose as she turned to look at him, her brow raised slightly. “Come on, get on the floor, I’ll show you how it’s done. Your hair seems to be long enough for me to braid it.” Reena stroked his hair softly before he moved to sit on the ground, making place for her on the couch.

She put her legs on either side of his back, allowing him to rest against the couch, granting her easier access to his head, touching his chin with her hands to lean him a little to the back. He complied, smiling to himself. Reena started working, her fingers braiding his strands expertly.

“You’re good at this- ah…” he spoke quietly, a low moan interrupting his words as she pulled a little tighter on his hair to make it fit into the braid. She halted in her tracks, unsure what to do and how to proceed. “Um- sorry, I-“

“Don’t worry about it, I like it when someone plays with my hair too.” She pinched his ear playfully, detangling his hair and brushing it into its previous position.

From then, the conversation flowed back onto the safe territory, neither of them mentioning the slip in his resolve and self-control. Wine made them bolder, caused them to sit just a little closer to each other, his arm draped over the back of the couch. This near her, he could feel the heat of her body, radiating from her softly. The music suddenly changed into a very slow ballad, causing Reena to stand up, grinning widely.

“I love that song! And that means that _you_…” she pointed towards him, curling her finger slowly, beckoning him to join her. “… have to dance with me. And I won’t take ‘no’ for answer.”

He took her hand without hesitation, standing up and letting her lead him into the middle of his living room. He twirled her around, bringing her into his embrace, letting his hands linger on her waist and stay there. Reena wrapped her arms around Thomas’s neck, pulling herself closer to him as they began to sway to the rhythm of the music.

Time seemed to have stopped, like it always did when they were together, so close he could lose himself in the feeling of her body next to his, in the sweet scent of vanilla that calmed his senses and made his heart race at the same time. From where he was, he could see the golden specks in her eyes, could count all the freckles on her face, see the small scar on her cheek. It felt like forever since he felt those butterflies in his stomach; what is more, he was sure that after losing his wife, he would never feel that way. Yet here he was, a mere thought of Reena made his mind go blank, the smallest of her touches made his stomach twist and turn. All of a sudden, he cherished all the moments he spent with her, and he couldn’t wait until the next time he would see her again.

Music guided them around the room, slowly swaying, their faces closer than ever before. Reena hugged herself to him, smiling to herself at the sense of calm that washed over her, the feeling of peace and safety that she experienced every time he was in the same room as her, not to mention when they were closer. He was important to her, she cared about him, but she didn’t want to overstep, knowing how much he loved and missed his wife. She would rather be his friend than to lose him, so she allowed him to set the pace for them.

His grip on her tightened, pressing her closer as he hugged her back, taking a deep breath as he hid his face in her hair. The song that was playing in the background was known to him, he personally put it on the playlist, so he knew when the melody would peak, giving him the perfect opportunity to lower her into an elegant dip. Her hands grabbed onto his shoulders and she squealed in surprise.

“Don’t worry, I won’t drop you.” he muttered into her ear, his arms tightening around her.

They remained in this position for a few more seconds, neither of them breathing, the tension electrifying the air around them. As he pulled them back to stand up, she fell right back into his embrace, their nose brushing against one another. Their breaths caught, eyes locked as they waited for the other to make a move. His eyes dropped to her lips, her green irises mirroring the action, and then, in a fraction of a second, they made the same decision to lean in, making their lips meet.

Thomas had to admit, even if only to himself, that he has thought about what it would be like to kiss Reena on more than one occasion. The idea of it was so potent to him, that it invaded his dreams, waking him up in the middle of the night. Now that he had his lips pressed to hers, he didn’t have to wonder anymore. They were soft and warm, tasting like blueberries and wine they were drinking. He was getting drunk, but it had nothing to do with the alcohol they’d been drinking.

The kiss was delicate and slow, gentle and careful, both of them afraid not to overstep the imaginary line they both drew. Their eyes fluttered shut, taking in the feeling of bliss, of relief at their desires coming to life. After what seemed like forever, they moved, falling into each other like waves onto the shore, their lips moving against one another with more confidence. Each moment together made their feelings fly higher, kiss turning from sweet and gentle into passionate and intense.

Thomas walked Reena to the nearest wall, pressing her up against it as their lips touched, time and time again. Their position reminded him of a situation, only few months back, next to his fridge. If Luz didn’t come back down when she did, they would have kissed then and there. Now that he was looking back at the moment, it’s good that they didn’t. They weren’t ready then, but they were more than ready for this now.

Reena’s hands tangled into his hair, pulling on the strands gently, causing him to groan in the back of his throat. His hands tightened on her hips, his lips pressing against hers more urgently. He got lost in the feeling, completely distracted by her whole being, unable to register the world around him. It was only a few eternities later that he noticed how her fingers worked his hair, almost like they had purpose in their movements.

She was _braiding his hair._

He broke the kiss, pressing their foreheads together as their eyes remained close. They took their time to catch their breaths, laughing happily at the sensation. Their hearts came back to their normal paces after a couple of minutes, and that was when he asked.

“Did you really braid my hair while kissing me?” he tried to keep his voice steady, but failed miserably, unable to not burst out laughing. She joined him, pressing a short kiss to his cheek.

“I’m nothing if not a multitasker. And besides, I had to prove to you that it’s not that hard. If I can do it while you devour me, you can do it when nothing is distracting you.” she teased him, leaning back a little to look him in the eye. She saw amusement and a hint of playfulness in his eyes as she moved past him to get back to the couch.

“Is that a challenge?” he pulled her right back into his arms, hugging her from behind. Her body shook as she laughed.

“Sure thing. Just don’t sue me cause I’m better. It would be not fair, and not the best example for your daughter.”

They settled back on the couch, sitting closely and holding hands. The high was gone, but feelings lingered, both determined to make it work, day by day. As the evening came to a close, they leaned onto one another, falling into a peaceful sleep in each other’s arms.

\---- ---- ----

Luz opened the door to her house after ringing the doorbell at least ten times. Lights were turned on, so she knew her Dad was home, and she knew Thalia’s Mom was supposed to be with him too. Levi was standing next to her, Thalia was there as well, and after a moment, the door flew open as she used her key.

Music was playing quietly as they entered the living room, looking around for their parents. Thalia moved to the couch, stopping suddenly, raising her hand.

“Luz, look!” she exclaimed, whispering, waving her fingers for Luz to join her. She tiptoed to stand next to her best friend, curious.

Her Dad was sleeping, hugging Thalia’s Mom tightly. She was sleeping too, they were both smiling, maybe they were having good dreams? Luz’s eyes moved to her Dad’s hair, noticing a nice braid there, and she immediately knew that Reena must have had done that.

“Thalia, look what your Mom did to my Dad.” Two girls laughed at that, turning to Levi. “You don’t have to stay, we’re going to go to sleep now. Thanks for letting me join you today, it was so much fun!”

“Yeah, thanks for that!” Thalia exclaimed and immediately regretting it as the other girl shushed her urgently, looking back to their parents quickly.

“No problem, Rocket. And Luz, it was a pleasure to meet you. If you two ever need help with science projects, just ask. Have a good night, girls.” He sent them both a friendly smile and went back to his car.

Thalia looked at Luz. Luz looked at Thalia. Their smiled said they were up to no good, and that was indeed the case. Luz went to grab her camera, taking a few photos of her Dad and Thalia’s Mom, making sure to focus on the braid in his hair. Neither of them would even know those photos existed…

…_for now at least_.


End file.
